The 21st International Clean Air and Environment Conference is being held this week from 9-11 September at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event was opened this morning by the NSW Minister for Environment and Heritage, the Hon Robyn Parker MP. [ + ]

Sinclair Knight Mertz (SKM) and Jacobs Engineering announced today that they have signed an agreement to merge their companies, with Jacobs acquiring SKM. The SKM board of directors believes the merger proposal is in the best interests of SKM shareholders. [ + ]

CleanUp 2013 will be held at the Crown Conference Centre in Melbourne from 15 to 18 September 2013. Leading international scientists will attend the event to discuss the latest tactics and solutions in the growing worldwide war on pollution. [ + ]

Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), modelling a range of fossil-fuel scenarios against the cost of 100% renewable energy in 2030, have found that coal-fired electricity may have little or no economic future in Australia - even if carbon capture and storage (CCS) becomes commercially available. [ + ]

A New Zealand plastic bag manufacturer has been fined $30,000 in the Auckland District Court after making environmental claims that were liable to mislead, thus breaching the Fair Trading Act. [ + ]

The Rudd government last week announced $2.2 million to advance a revolutionary technology developed at the University of Wollongong (UOW) to produce low-cost hydrogen with a greatly reduced carbon footprint, through the Clean Technology Innovation Program. [ + ]

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced that if re-elected, he will appoint Australia’s first Minister for Cities and establish an Outer Suburban Growth Taskforce (assisted by an expanded Major Cities Unit) to develop a Ten Year Jobs and Growth strategy for cities’ outer suburbs. [ + ]

Emerson Network Power and Australian engineering and manufacturing company RedFlow have formed a partnership to take RedFlow’s flow battery storage technology into new markets. [ + ]

Initial Hygiene is backing a new absorbent hygiene waste (AHW) recycling technology from nappy and pad recycling expert Relivit, in a partnership which is said to unlock a hidden goldmine in landfill worth approximately $120 million. [ + ]

Not-for-profit organisation International Energy Centre is inviting participants to the inaugural Energy Professional Symposium - an energy-focused conference which offers a suite of professional development opportunities designed to keep attendees’ businesses robust and create new opportunities. [ + ]

Eco Expo Asia, to be held from 28-31 October at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong, will focus on the growing market for waste management and green building solutions. [ + ]

The Engineering Excellence Awards Sydney (EEAS 2013) finalists have been announced, with some of the award-nominated projects intent on creating the Sydney of the future. [ + ]

University students across Australia are invited to share their ideas about where future global energy resources should come from. [ + ]

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has released the finalised Adelaide Coastal Water Quality Improvement Plan (ACWQIP) - a culmination of over five years' work and consultation with key stakeholders and the community for the improvement of water quality along Adelaide's coastline. [ + ]

Orica has selected sustainability software provider Enablon to manage its safety, health, environment, community (SHEC) and sustainability initiatives worldwide. [ + ]